Ravinia 2025 Issue 4

EDWIN OUTWATER Edwin Outwater is redefining the concert expe- rience as a groundbreaking conductor, curator, and producer, known for his dynamic approach and genre-blending collaborations with artists ranging from Metallica to Wynton Marsalis, Renée Fleming, and Yo-Yo Ma. Outwater cur- rently serves as Music Director of the San Fran- cisco Conservatory of Music and its ensembles, and since September 2024 he has been Principal Guest Conductor and Curator of BBC Concert Orchestra, a role focused on creative concerts, as well as community and education work, over the next three seasons. His legacy as Music Director Laureate of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, where he served from 2007–17, remains influ- ential, marked by global recognition through international tours, collaborations, and the crit- ically acclaimed recording From Here On Out . Outwater’s recent high-profile engagements include leading the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, Chica- go Symphony, and Royal Philharmonic—where he headlined a multi-concert series at the grand opening of Steinmetz Hall in Florida—as well as collaborations with Cynthia Erivo (at the BBC Proms), Diana Ross, Beck, Trey Anastasio, Leslie Odom Jr., and Lang Lang. As producer and Musical Advisor for National Symphony Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Concert at The Kennedy Center, Outwater shared the stage with Audra McDonald, Christian McBride, and Common, among other artists. His internation- al presence extends to such top-tier ensembles as the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony, and Mexico City and Brussels Phil- harmonics, as well as key Canadian orchestras in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and beyond. Out- water’s prolific recording credits include 2024’s Rhapsody in Blue Reimagined with pianist Lara Downes, contributions to GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas , and co-production on Stewart Copeland’s Police Deranged for Orches- tra and Police Beyond Borders . His work on the Grammy-winning Philharmonia Fantastique with the Chicago Symphony and collaborations with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett on Portals high- light his versatile musicianship. Edwin Outwa- ter’s arrangements have been heard at Ravinia for over a decade, and this season he makes his conducting debut over three concerts. LANG LANG Lang Lang is a leading figure in classical music today. As a pianist, educator, and philanthropist, he has become one of the world’s most influen- tial and committed ambassadors for the arts. Equally happy playing for billions of viewers at the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony in Bei- jing or just for a few hundred children in pub- lic schools, he is a beacon of communicating through music. On concert stages around the world, he has formed ongoing collaborations with such conductors as Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, and Christoph Eschenbach, and he regularly performs with all the world’s top orchestras. Lang Lang is known for embracing different musical worlds—such as performing with Metallica, Pharrell Williams, and Herbie Hancock at the Grammy Awards— and he has supported musical education world- wide for over a decade. In 2008, he founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation to cultivate tomorrow’s top pianists, champion mu- sic education at the forefront of technology, and build young audiences through live music expe- riences. His initiatives have earned him recog- nition with the Crystal Award in Davos (2010), as a United Nations Messenger of Peace (2013), and among 250 Young Global Leaders cited by the World Economic Forum. Lang Lang start- ed playing the piano at age 3 and gave his first public recital before age 5. He entered Beijing’s Central Music Conservatory at age 9, and he won first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians at age 13. He subsequently went to Philadelphia to study with pianist Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute. He was 17 when his big break came at Ravinia, substituting for André Watts at the “Gala of the Century” to play Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Con- certo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach. Lang Lang has received honorary doctorates from the Royal College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and New York University, as well as top civilian cultural prizes from China, Germany, and France. Lang Lang made his Ravinia and Chicago Symphony Orchestra debut in 1999 and returned frequently through the 2000s. Tonight is his first Ravinia performance since the 2013 gala concert. YIMIAO CHEN Yimiao Chen is a pro- fessional erhu player and singer-songwrit- er. Carrying forward the intangible cultural heritage of erhu per- formance, she has won every top professional erhu competition. Admitted to Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship in 2021 and to the master program of Columbia University in 2024, she has collaborated with symphony or- chestras at China’s National Center and New York’s Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, among other major venues. Chen’s cross-genre perfor- mances are widely praised among Generation Z, and she has held multiple cross-border concerts integrating singing and traditional Chinese mu- sical instrument performances in Boston and New York. In 2019, she won second place in the global finals of World’s Got Talent in Chi- na. She composed one of the theme promotion songs for the 2023 Chengdu World University Games. Her participation in the Dune score duet challenge initiated by the film’s composer, Hans Zimmer, earned praise from the globally recog- nized musician and has been widely reposted on multiple social media platforms. PLÍNIO FERNANDES Born and raised in São Paulo, Plínio Fernandes fuses the tradition of classical guitar with Brazilian folk music. An exclusive Decca Gold recording artist, Fernandes released his debut album Saudade in 2022, hitting the top spot on Billboard ’s Classical Albums Chart. His second album, Bacheando (2023), explores Bach’s influ- ence on Brazilian music and contrasts with his recent EP Cinema , which dives into five iconic movie soundtracks. Following his debuts at the BBC Proms and Lucerne Festival, the 2024/25 season sees Fernandes debut at the Canterbury and Newbury Spring Festivals, as well as with the BBC Concert Orchestra, performing Rodri- go’s Concierto de Aranjuez , and Britten Sinfonia. A powerful ensemble player and collaborator, Fernandes performs regularly with such musi- cians as Braimah and Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Lang Lang. Last season saw Sheku and Plínio give a five-date recital tour of the UK, including a sold-out performance at Wigmore Hall. Fer- nandes has played to full houses at such other venues as Royal Albert Hall and New York’s Radio City Music Hall, and he has toured Hong Kong, Portugal, and throughout South America in concert. He has been named among Forbes Brazil ’s Under 30 list and Classic FM’s Rising Stars, and he recently received the Revelação Award from Prêmio da Música Brasileira. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 21 – AUG. 3, 2025 70 DAVIDJ.KIM(OUTWATER);OLAFHEINE(LANGLANG);